Professor
/pʁoˈfɛsoːɐ̯/
The German word for professor is Professor.
In German, Professor is used to refer to a teacher or faculty member at a college or university, regardless of their formal rank.
Meaning: teacher or faculty member at a college or university, regardless of formal rank (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word has different forms depending on gender and number. The feminine form is Professorin. To refer to a group of male professors or a mixed-gender group, use the plural form Professoren.
How do you pronounce it?
/pʁoˈfɛsoːɐ̯/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the English plural Professors when speaking German. Instead, use the correct German plural form Professoren.
Did you know?
- If you write a formal letter to a Professor who also holds a PhD, the traditional greeting includes both titles as Sehr geehrter Herr Professor Dr. [Name].
- In many German universities, calling someone Professor is not just a description of their job, but a mandatory part of their formal address. Addressing a lecturer simply as 'Herr' or 'Frau' instead of Herr Professor can sometimes be seen as an unintended social snub.
- The word Professor is a learned borrowing from the Latin word 'professor', meaning a 'declarer' or a 'person who claims knowledge'.
Examples in context
- Mein Mann ist Professor.My husband is a professor.This sentence is useful for describing someone's profession using Professor.Tatoeba #8676724 by Yorwba, translation #8780249 by weihaiping
- Du bist Professor, oder?You're a professor, aren't you?This sentence is useful for asking someone if they are a Professor.Tatoeba #10085168 by Yorwba, translation #10083725 by CK
- Ich bin eine Professorin.I am a professor.This sentence is useful for a female speaker identifying herself as a Professorin.Tatoeba #3900507 by Trinkschokolade, translation #256939 by CK
- Sehr geehrter Herr Professor MaierDear Mr. Professor Maier
- 110 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are talking about their new college course.
- JulianWer ist dein Professor für Geschichte?Who is your history professor?
- HannahHerr Schmidt ist mein Professor.Mr. Schmidt is my professor.
- JulianIst er ein strenger Professor?Is he a strict professor?
- HannahNein, er ist sehr nett.No, he is very nice.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Professor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Professor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
